Disney is taking another tilt at adapting Percy Jackson & the Olympians, this time as a streaming series rather than a film — and original writer Rick Riordan is a part of the reason for the shift. The revelation came as part of an extensive Variety interview with the crew of the series.
For this new series, Riordan is listed as an executive producer, which may come as something of a surprise. Famously, he was unhappy with the original 2010 adaptation, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, even going so far as to release his communications with the producers back in 2018.
Speaking to Variety, he said that experience left him jaded and uninterested in trying again: “There were many years of me saying, ‘I don’t want to engage. I don’t want to think about other adaptations. I’m done.'”
That position changed when Disney acquired Fox, the original films’ production company, and rumours began to emerge about a possible reboot. “When it started to become clear that something was going to happen with me or without me, I had a long talk with Becky, my wife,” he said. “We said, ‘Well, if something’s going to happen, it’s probably best to give it one more shot.'”
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The process of getting involved was arduous, but once the Riordans were on board, Rick pushed for the project not to repeat the sins of the films. “My feeling was always that television was the better format for Percy because it allows us a larger canvas to tell more of the story. And to be more faithful to the source material, which is what the fans of the books really would love to see.”
In the full interview, Riordan goes on to discuss the fidelity of the new Percy Jackson series, including a push to cast younger actors and his response to criticisms of the diverse cast. It also includes comments from the actors and executives, diving further into the approach that the whole team has taken to the new adaptation. The series will release exclusively via Disney+ beginning in December.
